Silence for Sue
by tronik
Summary: What happens when Sue and the team pair up with Clarice to catch up with the notorious Hannibal Lecter?      Disclaimer:  not mine.


**Prologue**

The dramatic climax of Aria was straining through the Italian mansion as the gentle and summery air wound through the lace drapes in the grandiose windows. Only five feet away from the windows sat a man of distinguished sophistication at his dark wood secretarial desk writing words on an empty sheet of overly expensive papyrus. His pen paused from the scribbling and he looked upwards out of the smooth glass of the frame to observe nature's beauty, then pulled his round face down, his piercing eyes back to the black ink and began to write again.

_My Dear Clarice,_

It has now been 15 years since I last met your acquaintance and from what I recall, you still were unable to capture me. And still you are trapped down in that dungeon referred as the basement in the office of the FBI still looking to find me. Still looking to catch me once more. Tell me Clarice, do they love you yet? Or have they still turned their backs on you? Do you think that if you finally succeed in capturing me they will love you again? Will they take you back under their rightful wing or will they still cast you away like a fast rolling pigeon?

I suppose I should be highly flattered that you have dedicated your life to searching me out. I hope you think of me as much as I do you? Do I come to you in your sleep, Clarice? Does my faithful doppelganger speak to you at times when you least suspect it? Does it tell you how much pleasure I gain from hearing that you think of me so much. I only know that you are always on my mind, My Dear Clarice. But know this, I shall see you once again in passing and you will covet seeing me behind glass walls once again. No matter how much that coveting yearns to you, it will never take precedent over that need to see me behind bars again.

Until next time, My Dear Clarice. I will be thinking of you as I am now. We will meet again very soon.

Sincerely,  
Hannibal Lecter, MD

The operatic piece was coming to an end as the needle scratched off the record, indicating its finale and the man rose from his ball and claw chair coming to a standing height of no more than 5'11". His letter was folded and delicately slipped into the envelope addressed to the Washington FBI to Special Agent Clarice Sterling, a woman whom he had become fond of over the years in her quest to capture him. He slid the envelope in his private inhouse mailing box. The sun crept behind the clouds as the letter slipped from his aged hands and dropped down.

As if pondering his next actions, he slipped his hands in the pockets of his Armani pants and walked to the record player to change the song to that of another Italian piece, then allowed his gaze to linger out of the window at the secluded wilderness of Virginia Falls.

Chapter 1  
Washington DC  
FBI Headquarters  
0800 EST

It was an oddly quiet morning in the bullpen and the blazing heat outside was almost too much since the air conditioning was taking to its old routine fits again and it was obvious that the nefarious little troll, Randall Pitts, still wished to make the entire team of Jack Hudson suffer. The team consisted of eight very talented crew members which included the infamous deaf Sue Thomas who possessed the natural ability of reading lips, thus made her an ideal candidate in the field of security with the aide of her hearing dog, the golden retriever, Levi.

As always, the days began with new conversations and amicable joke slinging then fell into the routine of new caseloads. It was indeed going to become a most interesting day. With this profession you could be guaranteed that there will never be a dull moment laid on the tables.

Bobby Manning and Jack Hudson strolled casually in the bullpen discussing their hard night in the interrogation room with an alleged terrorist who was planning an attack on two Washington monuments. It was all in the name of protecting homeland security.

"It was a great plan, Crash." Jack chuckled to his best friend, Bobby. "You're a great liar."

"Ishallah Imhad confessed the second we told him his accomplice was ready to give him up." Bobby explained to the rest of the team who didn't have the pleasure of witnessing this plan come together so perfectly. "The bloke sang confessions all bloody night."

"Another one bites the dust." Sue quoted a phrase commonly used when something or someone goes down.

"Queen!" Tara exclaimed, playing the age old game of guessing the origin of phrases. Something of a past time she picked up on earlier that year.

"Not today, Luv." Bobby grinned at her in his charming Aussie smile indicating that he would rather save it for a day that wasn't so frustratingly hot.

It was never completely obvious but Tara always loved that million dollar smile with the dimples and the sparkling eyes that only accentuated the Australian accent. His smile when he called her 'Luv' made her smile back in glee as she bit her lip thinking less than 'good girl' thoughts about all the things she would like to do with Special Agent Bobby Manning.

The appointed Director, Agent Garrett walked into the doorway and broke the silence with his usually booming voice which was the norm in the days of working in this counter terrorist division.

"We have a new case." Garrett replied with his opening. "To be more precise, it is a 15 year old case that has been considered on going."

Garrett instructed Tara to raise the FBI's most wanted list in the white screen at the front of the room and pull up the bio on the small and ice blue eyed man, that was most feared across the globe.

"Dr. Hannibal Lecter." Jack uttered gravely as his face paled. "He's back in Washington?"

"I'm afraid so." Garrett sighed as he watched the members of his crew grow pale in absolute fright of this man. "Special Agent Clarice Sterling has tried twice to bring him in but to no avail. He has only been in custody twice and he escapes every time. Agent Sterling received a letter in the mail today and she has requested our help."

Sue was seeing Garrett's words, however, she was not aware of the background on Hannibal Lecter and when she observed the tension and the fear in the room, she was extremely curious as to who this man was.

"But considering the immediate danger he presents us with, you have the option of refusing." Garrett looked at each of his members carefully. "This man is extremely dangerous and he is very intelligent. He is perhaps the scariest thing that you will ever face and you will not come out of this unchanged. I am going to give all files on Hannibal Lecter and I want to read them carefully and get to know your enemy. You need to know who you are going up again because he is no Simple Simon, ladies and gents."

They all sat at a desk behind closed doors in a conference room with the mountain of files in the centers. They decided to spend the day reading up on the infamous Dr. Hannibal Lecter and share their pieces of information with the rest of the crew as they each had individual folders of information. The coffee was brewed and the pizza was ordered to last the day. Once they had familiarized themselves with their files they began presentations.

"According to my files," Tara began as she put up the gruesome photos up on the whiteboard and explained his conquests. "In his lifetime, he has killed a series of people, an estimate of over 18 people and attacked three who actually came out alive. The killings seem to be of a mainstream serial killer but he cannibalized them."

The team shifted in their seats in such disgust and horror at the idea of eating another human being. Sue didn't catch the word so she turned to Jack in confusion asking him for a retake on the word. He finger spelled the word and her reaction was immediate as her face took on a mix of bewilderment and shock.

"He ate them?" Sue asked with a gasp and a disgusted scrunch of her face. "He eats people?"

"Not just anyone." Tara reassured. "It is said that he doesn't go out of his way to kill people. His MO is to eat the rude and unsavory, including those who are out to get him. He has never laid a hand on a child nor those who treat him in a civilized manner. He won't touch the innocent."

"So, we're just peachy." Bobby asked. "Until we piss the Bloke off?"

"According to his past and recent killings, yes." Tara replied. "and his most redeeming acts were helping officials bring in two very renowned serial killers to justice. He has worked mostly with Agent Clarice Sterling and it looks like he's returned to her."

This was most certainly an interesting insight into Dr. Hannibal Lecter. Sue looked on as her team continued with their conversations and she found herself deep in thought. She was overcome with the sudden need to learn about the nature of this so called ferocious killer of the wilderness. She needed to know everything about him. As frightening as the prospect, she was bitten by the bloodlust curiosity and she was drawn into the case. She wanted this case.

Chapter 2  
Washington, D.C  
FBI Headquarters  
1335 EST

After some nourishment for the mind and body with the pizza and coffee, the crew buried themselves back into the files. Sue was up to present the history of Hannibal and how he came to be the man he was today, however, his asylum psyhcologist, Dr. Chilton would beg to differ on the term 'man'. Dr. Chilton had reduced him to the flattering scale of 'monster' played with his cunning wit and superior intelligence with his overly repugnant behavior. Hannibal sometimes wondered why he didn't eat him when he had the chance.

"Hannibal was born in France about five years before the second World War into the Lecter family who was a family of wealth." Sue began. "He and his little sister, Mischa lived a normal and happy childhood until soldiers invaded their mansion to use as a bunker, forcing the family to move to a small cabin in the forest. Shortly after settling in, a plane crashed in the yard killing both parents, leaving the children alone to defend themselves. Only days later war criminals found their cabin and sought refuge, all but kicking the children out of their own home. They were emotionally abused and physically to some degree."

"I don't think I want to know about what happened in there, do I?" Lucy asked almost afraid to know the answer.

"Hannibal nor the authorities gave too much details into what had happened in there." Sue sighed and reluctantly continued on. "The men had turned on them violently when food became scarce. They killed Mischa for food and Hannibal was forced to eat as well if he wanted to make it out alive."

It was obvious that from the glances around the table everyone was horrified at what these ruthless war criminals have done to the lives of these innocent children.

"The authorities found Hannibal a week later almost completely starved to death and dehydrated." She moved on with her findings with sincere sympathy for these children. "They nursed him back to physical help in a foster home which had been established in the old Lecter mansion. Upon reaching his twenties he lived with his aunt, studying and practicing ancient Japanese combat techniques then went of to university to earn his Ph.D in medicine. He had grown stronger then set out to avenge Mischa's death by returning to France and seeking the war criminals, then killed them. The authorities not only found them dead but their cheeks were chewed out. It didn't end there for him. That rage consumed him and he continued to kill as a lesson in not to hurt those he loved. The only reason he eats them now is because that first taste had him hooked."

Upon her finish, they took a moment of silence to digest this information on the man. It was very clear that the little boy died back in France in the cabin with his beloved sister, Mischa. What started as a quest for revenge turned into a bloodlust thirst for more human flesh. At this point, Dr. Hannibal Lecter was as good as unstoppable.

Jack didn't want to dwell on the horrific story so he cleared his throat, then brushed his fingers through his dark hair. He wound his fingers in the collar of his shirt in attempt to loosen the material that felt like a noose around his neck.

"So, what do we do?" Jack asked with an anxious sigh. "Should we take it or back out?"

"I want it." Sue stated then looked around at her team mates who met her determined hazel eyes, unsure of her sanity at the moment.

"Sue." Jack began with worry, hating this look in her eyes. Her determination and tenacity scared him more than he would like to admit at times. For the moment he looked away and to the rest. "If there is anyone who doesn't want to be a part of this, please do not hesitate to say no. It looks like Sue and I will be on the case with Agent Sterling."

There was much hesitancy going around the room on this issue since there were various law officers that have been either maimed or killed in their pursuit of Hannibal. Not too many who attempted this form of suicide came out alive or physically untouched. The only law enforcer that did make it was Special Agent Clarice Sterling.

During her last year in Quantico around the beginning of the 90's she was recruited on the assignment to catch the notorious 'Wild Bill' on his murderous rage to transform himself into a female by wearing the skin of several oversized young women. Her assignment was to get a profile from the intelligent Dr. Hannibal Lecter, provided he would co-operate with her.

Upon first meeting Clarice, he was captured by her beauty. Killing women had never been his style but he was absolutely sure he wouldn't harm a hair on her head. Her small stature, the dark red tresses, and the icy blue eyes that pierced his own. She had been wary about his behavior at first and was timid but part of that had been heightened by the frightful and perverted leers from the cellmates along her way.

Once he drew her into his mysterious world with cloaked clues and riddles, he wormed his way so deeply inside her head with quid quo pro, one fact of her life for one insight into 'Wild Bill's profile. This was how he found out about her fear of ranches and how she tried to save the lambs that screamed out into the blackness of the night from the pain of the slaughter house. Hannibal knew that if Clarice caught the killer, the lambs would stop screaming in the night. Clarice was in desperation for the silence of the lambs.

Chapter 3  
Georgetown, DC  
Sue and Lucy's Apartment  
2029 EST

Sue and Levi made their way in the apartment door as they had just returned from Levi's evening walk. She sat her purse and case by the door inside, then unleashed the golden, letting him find a cozy spot inside to lay down while she turned the kettle on for a nice hot cup of tea. When she prepared her tea she picked up her brief case to carry it to the sofa in the living room. It was filled with VHS tapes from various security cameras that recorded Hannibal's movements in the world. Some of these tapes were from several different states including Europe. These recordings may have been considered the missing pieces to his adult life. They were the pieces that were not made public to the media.

She picked a tape out of the bag and read the label with its scribbling over the side. She studied it then bit her lip, trying to decipher the foreign language that was written. The words had been written out in Italian and there was only one way to know what was on it since her fluency was limited to English and ASL, most certainly not Italian.

The mysterious black object was inserted into the VCR and the static on the television was soon replaced with a moving picture from a security camera. Her eyes were trained on the black and white picture that appeared on her screen, which was a blunt close up of Hannibal Lecter waving and smiling blatantly into the camera as if to brag about something. It was obvious that there were pieces missing and it wasn't playing from the beginning. Sue stopped the tape and pressed rewind on the remote control until it stopped. She pressed play and was presented with a vague picture of a railing belonging to one of Italy's finest buildings. She lifted the mug to her lips as the tape continued to show the balcony. Finally growing bored of the aim on the seemingly unmoving motion, she fast forwarded the tape as it still dwelled on the balcony. It must have been recording the image for hours before any motion, since Sue startled when a gentle hand laid upon her shoulder.

"I thought we were going over the tapes tomorrow in the office?" Lucy asked her friend as she looked at Sue over the sofa.

"We are." Sue stated, then momentarily returned back to the picture to see if it had moved before meeting Lucy's concerned gaze once more. "I just found one that was in Italian and I wanted to see what was on it."

"Ok, but we should just take it easy for tonight because I have the strangest feeling that it isn't gonna….."

Sue observed Lucy's face as it had paled when she had trailed off as she looked up at the image on the television. It was simply frightening how her expression became so daunting in a matter of seconds. Sue quickly returned her attention to the television and her heart lodged itself in her throat as her airway became restricted. This was what Hannibal was boasting about.

With a quick hand and such ease, the blade swiped the air and tore a perfect downward line through his abdomen, then he was pushed off the balcony, the rope around his neck, fell to an instant death as his bowels spilled a gruesome splatter on the beautiful cobblestone sidewalk of Italy. Hannibal looked up into the security camera and smiled as though he had completed another fabulous masterpiece, then waved. He was goading himself, hoping the officials would try to come after him.

Both Sue and Lucy stared at the television for what seemed to feel like hours. Even after static replaced the gruesome image. There were no words to describe the horror and fright going through their minds as they completely understood now how they were not going to make it out of this case unchanged. They will never look at another murder through the same eyes ever again as they will pale in comparison to this.

After four hours of sitting on the sofa in shock of the horrifying video footage, Sue lifted herself up to do her routine tasks of getting ready for bed. She stood under the warm spray of water from the shower and let the drops glide down her skin, to the floor, then finally down the drain. The splatter of the water only forced her mind back to the man's organs and the blood falling to the ground with a sickening splatter as the red lifeline flew in every which direction, much like that of the water. It would take her such a long time to ease her stomach and mind. It was like watching a horror movie but it was real and it will never truly leave her. Now she knew she would never sleep with security unless Hannibal Lecter was off the streets and into custody.

She laid into bed trying so hard to sleep but every time she closed her eyes, the scene played in her mind over and over again until she gave up trying. The night was spent tossing and turning, glancing at the red numbers on the clock radio every hour that flew by. Levi's head lifted up as he let out a seemingly compassionate whimper then walked over to his mistress allowing her to pet his golden crown.

"I am going to be haunted with nightmares for the rest of my life." Sue sighed with worry. "And this is only the beginning."

Around the corner, Lucy heard her talking and she walked into Sue's bedroom. It was obvious that Lucy was in distress as well since she had been witness to the video as well.

"I can't sleep either." Lucy wasn't too shy with her emotions but unlike Sue, if she needed help she would ask for it. "Care for some company?"

As Sue nodded, Lucy walked over to her bed and tucked herself in comfortably right beside Sue, then Levi made himself comfortable on the foot of her bed. At four AM they were able to drift off to sleep and this was how they found themselves when it was time to awaken in two hours to get ready for work.

Chapter 4  
Washington DC  
Asylum for the Criminally Insane  
1015 EST

A man noted for his years of education at the most well known and top universities in the states, pertaining to psychology was sitting in his luxury office eating his cookies and tea. He liked his tea lukewarm, the bag squeezed, then a little milk and sugar. Everything of his personality spoke of comfort and the other percentage was his intelligence that was determined by the certificates and degrees hanging on the wall behind his leather chair. How much life intelligence that existed within him was questionable as Hannibal thought.

Dr. Frederick Chilton was the psychologist who worked with Hannibal over the majority of his life as well as kept him detained. Some would say Dr. Chilton was a blessed angel for keeping the criminally insane out of society. His next course of action would prove him to be in the scale of greed and, of course, human stupidity.

Hannibal was on the list for the FBI's most wanted criminals and the reward that was a total of three million American dollars had been raised to that of ten million. Dr. Chilton sent out five henchmen to bring Hannibal to his desk and they had been on the lookout for months. Chilton was about to get a surprise of his own as he picked up the manila envelope that was set on his desk with the morning mail. Using his brass letter opener her tore the paper and shook the contents out. He was eerily welcomed by a colored photograph of a rather sickening image.

Hannibal had hunted out all five of Chilton's men and hungrily feasted upon them, their cheeks and tongues eaten out, obviously while they were still alive. Chilton was used to the horror of blood and the human body so mangled to the point of unrecognition, however, he was seething in rage. His jaw clenched and his teeth were grinding at the fact that he had been beaten at his own game. He growled menacingly and tore the photograph to shreds. His men were only five criminals and their lives were cheap. They were fallen angels that were destined to die in the end and he was absolutely not going to let any one get in the way of ten million dollars. The world was infested with petty criminals, he would recruit more. Or so he thought he would.

The ringing of the phone disturbed the angry stillness of the atmosphere and Chilton hastily picked it up.

"Chilton, how can I help you?" It was extremely difficult to answer the phone in an eloquent manner as expected when one was infused with anger.

"Hello, Dr. Chilton." The voice on the other end sounded so very familiar on the other end as he carried on. "How are you on this fine day, My Lad?"

"Well, well, well." Chilton's anger was resurfacing with a hint of spite. "If it isn't the famous Dr. Hannibal Lecter. How were my men, Lecter? Were they good? Tasty?"

"Absolutely scrumptious, Doctor." Hannibal answered with his usual boasting chuckle and evil smile. "I would have thought that a man with your degree of intelligence would know that to pursue me would prove fatal to you. Shame on you for sending other poor souls to do your dirty work. I thought you were a man of integrity but clearly I was mistaken."

"They were criminals." This was Chilton's logic. "Plenty of those out there to die for the cause. What other use in society do they have?"

As Dr. Chilton continued to talk he reached under his desk for the emergency switch that dispatches all law enforcers in the area in the event that something goes down in the asylum. Gently he removed the panel from the red button then was millimeters away from pushing it.

"Ah ah ah!" Hannibal warned him as if he saw Chilton go for the button. "I wouldn't touch that if I were you. And to answer your last question, My Dear Lad, you are not God. You have no right to use people as mere tools to chase after me."

"You're one to talk." He replied back, his anger now getting the better of him. "You ate the faces off my men, you rotten son of a….!"

"Manners, manners." Lecter scolded him before he could get the last word out. "I only make the effort to keep officials away from me, including the criminals you send out to me. Another thing, you would make a terrible hunter."

"What does hunting have to do with it?" He asked wondering if Hannibal was spinning him a yarn of riddles like always. His main attempt was to keep him on the line so he could trace the call.

"Everything." He answered simply. "You're noisy and you drop clues like an animal drops feces. It's been a delight chatting with you. I'll be seeing you around, Dr. Frederick Chilton."

The trace was made but Hannibal was mysteriously long gone once again, nowhere to be found. Many traces have been made on him but to no avail. Chilton rose from his seat fuming from the lack of security's ability to capture him.

He paced the room in a poor attempt to calm himself down as he glanced around the room in disgust. He had to stop himself from driving his fist through the wall then an idea skimmed through his mind as he maliciously grinned. It wasn't an original idea but it was more or less on the lines or recruiting more criminals once again, obviously not learning his lesson the first time.

He quickly moved over to his desk and picked up the phone again.

"This is Chilton." He boomed in the receiver. "I need five men from your detention center. If they help me I can possibly pull some strings with the officials for an early release by the state."

Chapter 5  
Washington DC  
FBI Headquarters  
1250 EST

Even after lunch the girls were still feeling out of sorts at the office since they were lacking sleep and were watching security videos all morning. There were videos upon videos and Sue managed to sit through then all unflinching, almost as though they didn't bother her. Jack noticed her reactions and was watching her seemingly apathetic features. It concerned him deeply how she could watch these videos of a man infliction great pain on others by devouring their faces and not be bothered. The truth was that none of those videos had been nearly as graphic as the one she saw last night. The others simply paled in comparison.

When the Italian security tape began she needed to leave the room. This one had scared her more than anything in her entire life. Jack immediately followed her out the door and she was found back in the bullpen sitting in her chair with her elbows on her knees, deep in thought. Once he took a seat beside her they began to talk about the course of events and how she and Lucy saw the video last night. He then understood that she had quite a rough night. Even when he suggested taking the team off the case, she refused with the following answer, "I've seen what he does. I won't be able to sleep again until I know we're safe from him."

Even now she wasn't feeling much better as she walked with Levi back from her lunch break. Being in her drowsy state she hadn't realized that someone was walking straight for her until that body ended up in a collision course with her. A flurry of papers flew upwards then fluttered down to the floor, the person not far behind to pick them up again.

"I'm so sorry." Sue apologized as she bent down to help the woman pick up her files. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm ok." The woman met her eyes with a light smile. "I should have been watching where I was going. I was reading these new files. Uuhh, sorry, rude of me not to introduce myself. I'm Clarice Sterling. I'm supposed to be working on Jack Hudson's unit."

"Sue Thomas. I'm a member." Sue chuckled and shook Clarice's hand. "I'm on my way back, I can take you there."

"Thank you so much." Agent Sterling replied in her slight Southern accent. "So, you'll be on the Hannibal Lecter case?"

"Yes." Sue answered with a sharp intake of breath. "We just finished reviewing the case files. I couldn't get an inch of sleep last night."

"You shouldn't have watched the security tapes before bed." Clarice stated knowingly.

"How did you know?" Sue asked in surprise.

"Because they kept me awake." The dark red headed agent answered as she followed Sue back to the bullpen.

Sue introduced the Special Agent Clarice Sterling to the rest of the team and once they were settled they discussed how they were going to come up with a game plan to reel in Hannibal. As it happened, Clarice had already received her signal for a plan. It was already common knowledge that Hannibal had already been in the area and all they needed to do was bait him out. As if it were that easy since he was practically the most elusive Houdini.

"I just received a phone call from Dr. Chilton today." Agent Clarice stated as she laid down the photograph of Chilton's dead henchmen on the table for all to see. "He actually tried to hire men to reel Hannibal in for the ten million dollar reward. I knew Chilton was a chauvinist jerk but I didn't think he would do something stupid like this."

"Greed can seduce just about anyone." Jack rationalized and noticed her icy blue eyes staring into his own.

Clarice smiled a half forced smile but was actually affected by his intensely deep and dark gaze. She averted her gaze from Jack to the rest of the team and observed Sue's expression towards Jack. Clarice looked around to the rest of the team. She noticed that they were taking notes and digesting the information except Sue who seemed to be looking right into her soul, then a golden retriever settled by her side.

"Why do you have a dog in here?" Clarice asked in all her curiosity.

"Levi is my hearing dog." Sue began to explain knowing she would have to do it sooner or later, but she liked Clarice's immediate questioning rather than having her tread on thin ice around her like so many others had done. "I'm deaf so he lets me know if someone is trying to get my attention."

"And you're staring at me like that because you're reading my lips?" Clarice finished off with a question.

"Yes." Sue grinned as she pet Levi's golden crown.

Clarice only just heard of deaf persons functioning in society much like the rest of the population but she was truly taken aback to see a deaf woman working for the FBI. When she thought about it, it made sense for Sue to be a great candidate for security purposes since she could read lips, revealing information that would speed the process of solving cases. She had to admit that Hannibal would love to meet the amazing Sue Thomas and she had a feeling that he would end up paying them all a visit.

"That's amazing." Clarice commented and reached into her pocket to pull out a doggy treat she left in there for her dog, Rocky, to feed to Levi.

"You now have a friend for life." Sue replied as Levi happily downed the treat and gave Clarice his paw.

Clarice straightened herself back up and returned back to the task at hand, explaining some case and the game plan.

"As you know, Hannibal contacted me through a letter and telephoned Dr. Chilton." She began. "Once Hannibal makes contact with anyone he comes to them in person at some point. Or in my case, he likes to play telephone treasure hunt just to drive me insane. We're going to get some calls from him so if it makes you feel any better you can trace them. It hasn't helped us in the past and I know he's not about to get sloppy yet."

"So it seems the only thing we can do at this point is question Chilton and see where it leads us?" Myles stated the obvious.

"Yeah." The leading agent answered. "But I also believe that Chilton sent more men out there to do his dirty work for him. Someone has already pulled this stupid stunt once before and it only backfired on them. They hired a group of men who raised wild hogs, then when they matured the men penned them and brought Hannibal to them when they managed to secure him in cuffs, ropes, anything possible. As you might know, wild hogs will attack humans and chew right through them. The men fell in the pen and when I untied Hannibal I was shot by one of them who were still alive at the time. Hannibal brought me out and left the rest of the men behind. The hogs ate them and Hannibal didn't even touch them. You would think Chilton would learn from that."

"We need to get to Chilton before his own concoction kills him." Jack said as he grabbed his coat and Sue's, gearing up to pay the psychologist a visit. "Or Hannibal."

Chapter 6  
Asylum for the Criminally Insane  
Washington DC  
1305 EST

The smell of diesel fuel invaded their nostrils as a loud roaring garbage truck dragged on by and Agent Starling turned an icy, yet familiar gaze around herself. It was the omnipresent brick building with its unwelcoming stairs leading persons to the front door that made her think back to the first visit.

"Looks pleasant." Jack commented with a severe hint of sarcasm, distracting Clarice from her reminiscence.

"Not really." She muttered lifting a hand to brush her hair out of her face.

It was the dreary and bleak conditions of weather including the foreboding sense of dread which reminded her of the very first time that she was going to meet Hannibal. Sue could sense the unease rolling from Clarice like drops of sweat beading on her forehead. That agitation so thick they could almost see it, even though they were only going to question Dr. Chilton.

Clarice, Jack, and Sue walked up the stairs towards the thick steel and glass doors to the inside. When they were inside the building, Clarice took no time in observing the bland décor. Jack and Sue had to keep up with her hurried pace and before long they were standing before a Dr. Frederick Chilton in a luxurious office.

"Agent Clarice starling." Chilton grinned as he made note of her lack of visitation since the last time she was there. "I'm curious as to why you came here. Dr. Lecter is most certainly not in our custody."

"Didn't say he was." Clarice stated sharply. "This is Agents Jack Hudson and Sue Thomas. We're not here to play catch up. I just want to know what in hell you're thinking going after Hannibal without official backup?"

"I'm thinking about ten million dollars, Agent Starling." Chilton retorted. "I would suggest you stay out of my way."

"It would be my pleasure, Dr." Clarice bit back. "While he eats off your face for even attempting a stunt as stupid as this."

"Look here, Ms!" Chilton raised his voice in annoyance. "What gives you the right to come in my office, insult me for trying to catch him since your methods have obviously lacked in the vicinity of success?"

"You've sent petty criminals to their deaths." She looked him in the eye with nothing but accusation. "They were only months away from probation. Only months away from turning their lives around. You don't even have the guts to go out there and get him yourself!"

"Once a criminal, always a criminal."

So set and stubborn in these ways of his and so cowardly was what Sue could see standing in front of her now. She read the lips of the two who were engaged in a rather hefty disagreement bordering on assault until Jack cut in to stop the argument before it turned at its worst.

"Dr. Chilton!" Jack cut in over the two. "You had your chance to reap the reward but you took the risk of using others at the expense of their lives. Even though those men were criminals, what you have done is considered murder. I know that we don't have much evidence to substantiate that fact, but once we do, you will be behind bars. It is in your best interests to hand over all information that you have pertaining to Hannibal Lecter and to fully co operate with us."

"I sent you all the information I had with Agent Starling." Chilton answered smugly.

The three agents looked at each other with slight confusion trying to decipher the man's contrary behavior that was being portrayed all of a sudden.

"Why would you send us information if you knew you ran the risk of prison time?" Sue asked the one question that was on the top of everyone's minds.

"Not very bright for three FBI agents, aren't ya?" He grinned then explained. "I am highly respected by the law offices in DC and I am the only psychologist within a 500 mile radius that will deal with the criminally insane. Do you really think the officials will arrest me for using criminals for catching a criminal?"

Jack sighed with great impatience and ran his fingers through his coal black hair as a ritual to clam himself down as the look of defeat was as plain as day on all of their faces except Chilton's.

"You would make a terrible hunter." Sue commented on Chilton's lack of ability to track down a criminal.

"Excuse me?" His tone took on a very bewildered and confused voice seeing as he heard Hannibal say that very same thing to him.

Soon they were out of the building and into the FBI issue car, wanting to get away from the object of their soured mood as soon as they could. Once settled, Clarice felt the need to address her curiosity of the moment.

"What did you mean back there?" Clarice asked Sue. "About being a terrible hunter?"

"My uncle used to hunt." Sue explained her analogy. "And he would never allow anyone to go with him. He always preferred to go alone because he believed that one person wouldn't give off as much noise and confusion to scare away the animal as a group of hunters would. He also felt that too much commotion would make the animal turn on them."

The two understood her explanation and simply moved on, at a standstill as to what they were going to do about Chilton.

Jack turned the key in the ignition as the engine purred to life, then drove out of the parking space and on the road back to the office.

"We're going to have to place security around the asylum 24/7." Jack sighed with a tight grip on the steering wheel. "And have Tara keep an eye on the security cameras. Tap all phones in the FBI office and Chilton's."

Clarice chuckled in the backseat of the sedan almost as if to taunt Jack's naivety towards the whole case in retrospect.

"Something funny, Agent Starling?" Jack looked in the rearview mirror with something akin to a dirty look.

"I'm not laughing at you, Hudson." She stated readily explaining her actions. "It's the situation. Over the years we've tried top notch security and phone tracers but Hannibal managed to wipe through them all. Chilton is as good as dead right now, unless he stops playing this stupid game and turns himself in there's nothing we can do for him."

"But it's our job to try to protect him even if he's not very likable." Sue said in her voice of reason.

"No, no." Clarice laid a hand on Sue's shoulder. "I'm not saying that you shouldn't put up security. I'm just not very confident that it's going to work. Even if it is useless we should always do what we can."

A twenty minute drive through never felt so long as Jack successfully maneuvered through the intersections and lights, as they each had their individual thoughts on the case. In the backseat Clarice sat staring out the window at the rush of the city life, then Levi turned to lay his head in her lap looking up at her with soulful brown eyes. She always loved dogs. They had a way of making everything all right when the rest of the world was riddled with wrongs.

"Who was the agent that brought him in during the Red Dragon case?" Sue asked startling Clarice out of her reverie.

"Agent Will Graham." She answered. "That was a bit of an accident. Hannibal stabbed him and Will had enough energy to fire some rounds in him. They were both down long enough for Hannibal to wake up back in the asylum and for Will to recover. They didn't think he was going to make it."

"So in order to catch him you have to let him kill you?" Sue attempted to make sense of the process.

"And that's exactly what I did." Clarice admitted gravely. "I gave him so many reasons and chances. I even provoked him but I think he somehow knew what I was up to. He wasn't going to let me get off that easy."

"You were willing to let him kill you?" Sue could not grasp a person's willingness of sacrificing themselves to something such as this.

"It's the only way."

Chapter 7  
Sue and Lucy's Apartment  
Georgetown DC  
1927 EST

Levi heard a series of soft raps at the entrance and grumbled as he went to the bedroom to fetch his mistress so she could answer the door. As the golden peaked around the corner he found her sitting on the bed as though she was in a rather eerie trance.

Sue was thinking about Hannibal very thoroughly, right down to what he tasted when her devoured the delicate flesh of the people around her to the thought of Clarice's willingness to die in the process of capturing him. She knew his penchant to eat the rude but didn't understand how. How could he bring himself to eat human flesh raw when she herself could not stand the mere sight of blood? How could he withstand the terrorized screams of his victims when she all but thanked God that she was deaf in this instance?

She startled when Levi laid his front paws on her lap then attempted to tug her up by her shirt sleeves. By instinct, she understood this was the warning of someone knocking on the door, which compelled her to get up and answer it.

"Jack." She looked at him and lost herself in his deep pools of brown eyes, surprised but happy to see him there. "Come in. What brings you here tonight?"

"I'm not sure." He admitted nervously, knowing his affection for her deep in his heart, always afraid of admitting to it. "I went out for a walk and I just…ended up here. This Hannibal, Clarice, and Chilton triangle is not sitting well with me."

"I know." She signed with a sigh. "Hannibal alone is terrifying and Chilton…I have less than nice thoughts about him right now. And why Hannibal seems to favor Clarice is a little bit beyond me."

Sue turned to walk in the living room to the sofa with Jack and Levi close by her side. Before any conversation made its way to the table, they made themselves comfortable on the sofa.

"Do you thing Hannibal may have feelings for Clarice?" Sue asked in pure speculation. "Other than wanting to keep her alive so he can torment her?"

"She is younger." Jack stated trying to rationalize the idea. "She could very well resemble his little sister."

"That's not what I was getting at." Sue grinned with a chuckle at Jack's obtusiveness.

It was apparent that he had no idea what she was implying at first since that statement was flying way over his head. He looked into her hazel eyes and noticed her quick downward gaze as he eventually managed to pull out what she was not about to spell out.

"Did you just try to use Hannibal and love in the same sentence?" Jack chuckled at her theory.

"I know." Sue nodded, knowing how stupid that sounded. "But hear me out. Clarice could be as rude and unpleasant as she liked and he wouldn't lay a hand on her. When we love someone we could get away with just about anything."

"Ok." He was taking this for now. "But he's felt nothing but hatred all his life. How does he suddenly start loving someone?"

"You don't get to choose your feelings." Sue stated as if talking from experience. "It just happens. It happened to Red Dragon. He fell in love and it made him sloppy. It threw him off balance and that's how the officials were able to catch him. If he could have helped it, he wouldn't have fallen in love with Reba but he had no choice."

Jack touched his hand to his chin and scrutinized her momentarily, seeing the logic in her thoughts. There was, however, one question that was lingering on the surface.

"Hannibal can have whatever he wants." Jack said. "Why doesn't he just come out and tell her?"

"Despite his monstrosity, he's a bit of a charmer and a gentleman, Jack." She glared at him with a friendly smile.

Sue was very disarming at times when she smiled since Jack always loved it. He also loved that in the scariest of things she could find at least one fuzzy outlook about them. At first he cursed her optimistic side seeing as it carried so much danger, but her grew to find it refreshing. After a few years of seeing so much bad he forgot to look for the good. Sue always finds it for him whenever he cannot.

"Doesn't matter. " He retorted. "He could still be a gentleman and say something, couldn't he?"

"I don't know." She unintentionally turned it into a game of cat and mouse. "You tell me."

Those last words somewhat spilled from her pink lips a little faster than she intended for when she looked at Jack she noticed his eyes were darkening a bit. Somewhere along the line they had turned the tables on themselves, and Sue had given him a complete 360, hoping to receive the answer that she longed for over the past four years. Jack may have been slow in the romance department but he wasn't so obtuse that he couldn't pick up on the tension that was currently floating around in the atmosphere of the cozy room.

Her gaze latched on his dark eyes, unable to free themselves as her heart began to thrum to a faster drum beat. She could feel her insides begin to melt while he continued to almost stare right through her. All she could think of was the time when she attempted a massage a pain in his back from his impending heart attack. That nervous yet emblazoned look told her she was doing something too right that if she didn't back down, they would end up getting far more than just a neck rub. Right now, he was looking at her the same desirous way. She had gotten that look before but for the first time in her life it was mutual.

It made her gasp when he moved in closer to her, unsure as to whether he should keep going. He paused as she licked her quickly drying lips and bit her bottom lip. Their breathing was constricted with the anticipation for that long awaited kiss and her eyelids drifted shut as he moved in even closer. Only a breadth away from each other, Jack brushed her lips with his own and she gasped at the unexpected thrill that raced up her spine leaving goose bumps in its wake.

As slow as Jack had come to her it was the speed of light when he jumped away and that surprised her. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Lucy walking straight for the kitchen, not even noticing the two of them on the sofa until Sue jumped up out of Jack's reach.

"Hey guys." Lucy greeted her friends, then did a double take. "What are you two up to?"

"Uhm, nothing." Jack answered quickly. "Just…talking. I think I should get going. It's getting kinda late. I'll see you tomorrow, Sue…And you too Luce."

"Yeah." Sue nodded her head and was completely thrown off with absolute awkwardness.

After he went out the door she subconsciously licked her lips to soothe the slight burning sensations as though his lips left a solid imprint through hers. It was then that she made the distinctive connection that she was licking at the figment of his mouth on hers and she shivered. The sweet, musky scent of him and the softness of his lips lingered a moment afterwards much like the photographic memory of one's mind. Sleep was not going to come easy tonight either.

Chapter 8  
FBI Headquarters  
Washington DC  
0800 EST

"Move it, People!" The office was a rush and a scramble of frenzied people as Agent Starling barked out her orders. "We have a trace at the corner of Main and Summer!"

"But-" Myles tried to interrupt but was getting no where with this spit fire.

"No buts!" Clarice yelled, purely anxious to get her hands on Hannibal. "Just make it happen! Let's get those cars out there!"

Sue, Jack and Lucy were arriving in the bullpen a little later than usual and were surprised at the scene unfolding before them until Clarice hurried over to give them a heads up.

"We got a trace." She simply said and rushed down the hall with Bobby, Tara and Myles behind her. Jack and Sue joined the proverbial army of ants hoping to move a mountain.

It was a very confusing scene for Sue to understand the constant stream of people trying to make their way through the crowd, so Jack stuck close by her, ensuring that she could grasp the events around her. In a world of silence the scenes played out like a 1930's black and white silent motion picture. Even then, there was still the piano to entertain the ears. Sue's form of entertainment was for her eyes. Being accustomed to not hearing, she was ok with that. It seemed to be some of the people around her that had a problem with that.

Bobby, Myles and Tara careened down the roads in one car as Clarice, Sue and Jack darted through the intersections in another. They were trying to beat the corner at both sides so they could somehow trap Hannibal on location. When they drove, the commands and codes zinged through the circuits of the microphones and earphones that were just barely hidden behind their ears.

"I am now heading down Union." Jack barked his driving course through the microphone. "Myles, where are you headed?"

"On Main now." Myles' voice resounded in the earpiece. "Take a left and you'll be on Summer. It's the only road on that drag."

It was quite the image for some of the residents of Main and Summer as the mysterious black and grey sedans speed on their route with their red emergency lights swarming the area. In fear of scaring the criminal away they decided against the blaring alarm that would scream off the roof of the cars as usual. Unsurprisingly the catterwauling of the sirens up the lanes were a very normal part of these suburban areas. In a city full of danger, they felt safe whenever they heard the sirens. But today there were no sirens and they had no idea as to how much their safety was actually quite infringed upon.

Both sets of teams made it to the scene but were not surprised to see an obviously empty telephone booth with the receiver hanging down by its cord. They made their way out to see if they had indeed lost their man. They searched the area nearby the booth including some of the personal property as well as some wooded area. They canvassed at least within a 100 mile radius of the booth. Jack knew there was no way possible that a man could run that far within the short amount of time that it took to trace the location.

"Beat us again, eh Lecter?" Clarice sighed expectantly as she muttered loud enough for the rest to hear.

"Damnit!" Jack slammed him fist on the hood of the car, making a minor scene.

"No good to get pissed, Jack." Clarice stated as though this was quite normal when it came to Hannibal. "He appears on his own terms."

Clarice nonchalantly entered the car and tossed the gun in her holster once the safety was on. The men glared at her apathy with a hint of anger and dejection. It wasn't the first time they didn't catch someone on their first raid but it still felt like failure had snapped them in the face. Clarice, on the other hand was used to the wild goose chases that he just loved to send her on. She only responded because she knew that if Hannibal saw her trying to track him down, he would come to her.

It was very soon that they returned to the FBI office empty handed for now, hoping to make up for that later. They took off their jackets and hung them up before they sat at their desks trying to come up with another scenario.

"What if we were to requestion the people on the witness list from the previous investigations?" Sue suggested to Clarice and the rest of the team. "Maybe there's something they remember or missed from the first time."

"We can do that." Clarice replied. "But you need to keep in mind that many of these people now have families now and will most likely refuse for their protection. Can we really provide protection?"

"I'll still be keeping up security and phone lines." Tara cut in. "Maybe useless but we have it up. We may as well proceed with it."

Clarice nodded in agreement and decided that the attempt to requestion the witnesses was going to happen.

"In the meantime, I think we should always travel in groups so we can all come back here in one piece. No one goes out alone anywhere at anytime." Clarice warned. "Since I have never worked in a large group on the Hannibal case I can't guarantee anything. This is a new venue since I have only worked with one partner who did not make it out alive. I can tell from experience that you are well under his radar by now."

"Who was your partner?" Jack asked out of curiosity.

"Paul Krendler." She answered.

Sue caught the name immediately and she felt her breathing begin to constrict, the hotness of shame flooding her all over again. She sat square in her chair concealing these emotions extremely well like a dark secret that lurked over her head for quite some time. No one ever knew anything and she made sure that no one would ever find out from her.

Chapter 9  
Chez Gracie Ristorante  
Washington, DC  
1145 EST

Donned in a tan colored parchment of a hat and the matching suit, he lifted a hand to push lock of sandy blonde out of his piercing blue eyes and smiled graciously at the passerbys. He lifted the black coffee mug to his thin lips and sipped while he awaited his dinner. He was enjoying the vibrant late morning as the sun splashed on every object and glinted harshly off the passing cars. If he looked close enough he could see the rippling heat cascading off the cars like a gaseous liquid.

No sooner than the crow that swooped by him, the waiter arrived with his dinner of fava beans and liver with a nice glass of Chianti. It was done rare just the way he liked it.

"Thank you." Hannibal said to the young waiter sincerely.

As Hannibal ate his meal his thoughts drifted over to his lovely Clarice Starling who started up his case once again. He thought this ought to be a fun ride. It was also very fun to know that she had just begun to make it a team effort to double the chances of planning his doom. It made things all the more interesting when she tried so hard to make new venues. It made things especially interesting that Sue Thomas was a part of this team effort seeing as he had the most unsuspecting connection with the innocent woman.

Hannibal picked out his cell phone and made a first and foremost call then waited for someone to pick up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The team was back at the office reviewing the witness list and found that, surely enough, many of the names have ceased to exist by Hannibal's doing. The ones that were alive were those who were civilized and polite despite the mere fact that they tried to turn him in. Anyone who met the acquaintance of this man knew that good manners went a long way with him.

All of a sudden, the mechanical ring of the phone interrupted the still air and Jack was the one to pick it up.

"Jack Hudson." He spoke into the receiver waiting for a voice to answer.

"Mr. Hudson." The unusually bright demeanor spoke. "Would you please be so kind as to let me have a chat with Clarice Starling, thank you very much?"

Jack unsuspectingly let Clarice take over the phone as the voice politely asked.

"Starling." She spoke.

"It's been a while, Clarice." He smiled into the phone. "Tell me, did you miss me as much as I have you?"

"Dr. Lecter." Clarice near whispered in the receiver as Jack noticed immediately and scurried around to attempt a trace. "Where are you?"

"Very close to you, My Dear." Hannibal spoke in his riddled tongue. "Don't bother tracing me. It never worked before, it won't work now."

"Why are you calling me?" She asked shortly.

"It's obvious." He stated. "I missed you and I needed to congratulate you for your bravery. I also admire your tenacity where anyone else would just give up on me."

"I'd be a coward if I did." She honestly stated and Hannibal valued honesty.

"That's my girl." He glowered with pride.

As rude as she had become to him, he loved her for her fearless demeanor and her quick wit. He admired her strength and tenacity. Indeed the world was a much more interesting place with her in it. For now his intentions were drawn elsewhere.

"And how is the lovely Susan Thomas today, My Dear?" He leered.

"You know she's involved in the case?" Clarice asked knowing that he would have figured that out by now.

"Of course." He said gently as she put him up on speaker phone and a conversation transcript appeared on Sue's screen. "Susan and I go back a bit, Don't we, Sweet Suzie?"

The team heard his seemingly warm and familiar manner towards Sue and looked up at her curiously. She too had known of Hannibal's words but had no clue as to where he came up with that conclusion. Sue had never met the likes of Dr. Lecter in her entire life. Now, she was dreadfully curious and suspicious of him.

"How are you, My Dear?" He asked genuinely wanting to know of her current welfare.

Sue knew the rules that were put into place when getting into a conversation with Hannibal and she fully understood the importance of abiding by those solid rules. But how solid and worthy were those rules when he managed to completely obliterate them? They were like treaties, meant to be broken.

"Fine." She answered in semi fear but not forgetting his respect for the respecting. "How are you?"

"Just lovely." He replied. "I don't have much time for a lengthy conversation, however, I am about ready to make a handsome deal with you."

"I can't negotiate with you, Dr. Lecter." Sue stated matter of factly. "I'm sorry."

"I highly doubt you are sorry." Dr. Lecter queried. "But it won't cost you that much. You see, you tell me about you and I will come to you. Quid quo pro, Susan. How about it?"

Chapter 10  
FBI Headquarters  
Washington, DC  
1200 EST

"Quid quo pro, Susan. How about it?" The gracious voice challenged her to something of a game of wits.

Sue saw that phrase before from Clarice from her earlier dealings with her and despite the cold chill that ran frigid through her veins, she was ready to learn. She was ready to explore the brilliant mind that was most feared even if it meant putting her own wits to the test.

She looked up at the rest of her team searching for guidance and knew that whatever was said, they would be there to help clean up whatever emotional damage occurred. Only Jack wasn't quite ready to let her take those steps yet and the anger was evident with him grinding his teeth and the bulging vein on the side of his temple. Hell over anyone who thought they could put Sue through any kind of emotional hardship or hurt.

"I don't think so, Hannibal." Jack glowered with his anger rather evident in his tone.

"Jack…." Sue looked at him with concern, trying to pull him back from his over protective mode.

"Jackson, you'd do well to contain your hormonal outbursts." Hannibal spoke in warning. "Share your Little Pretty."

At this comment Jack was about to speak of a warning himself but Sue pulled at his arm, forcing him to look at her. He saw the slight worry in her hazel orbs then calmed himself once he saw the presence of her being safe. They were there to keep her safe but Jack needed to realize that emotions could not be protected no matter how devoted the protector was. He backed down and allowed her to take the reins herself.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asked ready and willing to start the game.

"You, Susan." He started. "I want to know all about you. I want to know how you've managed to live in a world that was clearly not constructed for you. Is that ok?"

"That could take some time." She said.

"One word." Hannibal whispered cryptically. "Answer that all encompassing pondering in one word."

"Perseverance." She quickly uttered.

"Hmm," He wondered and began again. "Very intelligent, My Dear. Now, tell me…."

"Uh uh." Sue interrupted, determined to steer him in her direction. "Your turn. Quid quo pro, Dr. Lecter."

"You haven't told me everything I want to hear, Susan." He told her very harshly. "Interrupt me again and I will cease to hold my end of the deal."

"What do you want to hear, Hannibal?" Sue found her nerves were fraying slightly.

"I want to know why you harbored such a strong dislike towards Paul Krendler?" He asked almost knowingly.

"That's none of your business." Sue grimaced in slight embarrassment.

"Answer me, Susan." He demanded. "Was it because he was nasty to you in Quantico? Did he make a mockery of your existence in the hearing world? Did he try to cop a feel, Susan?"

Sue's nerves were now on full agitation and the rush of heat covered her beautiful face in an angry red. The harsh sting of Hannibal's words bringing the tears to the surface. No matter how humiliating she was determined that he would not break her. Her greatest worry was knowing that everyone was about to find out and the emotional stakes were running very high.

"NO!" Sue immediately slammed the emotional door shut on him.

The exchange was surprising the rest of the team as well as the force of her answer to Hannibal's obvious invasion of her privacy. Hannibal was forcing Sue's hand as she continued the struggle to hold onto her steady emotions and her team members watched her in great intensity. Jack was not liking the direction this was heading for at all.

"Tell me, Susan." His words more forceful in demand.

"I refuse to talk about this." She said firmly, raising her hands to rub her face.

"Susan." He bellowed low and deep. "You can't keep this inside forever. That deep seated rage will consume you as it did me."

"How did it consume you, Dr. Lecter?" Sue was frantically grasping at straws to change the subject.

"Answer me!" He was not going to let her go. "What did he do to you, Susan?"

She let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes momentarily to put her scattered emotions back into the carefully selected shelf that they used to rest peacefully on. After a sigh and a blank look about her, Jack was nearly fearing what he saw from her. For the first time in her sheltered existence she was building up armored shields all around herself. She was building something very impenetrable. Those walls would help her speak of herself only as an object, a statistic without any means of identification.

"He installed a camera in one of the public washrooms." She sighed in resignation and decided he was not going to let her get away from this line of questioning. "I just happened to be the one who took a shower at the wrong time and place."

"And as I recall it was a rather enjoyable shower, was it not?" He asked in a leering tone.

"Yeah." She began full of surprising sarcasm. "A shower normally is enjoyable seeing as you come out clean."

"But you never felt clean after that, did you?" He asked almost as if he knew more than he should. "Especially after one of his best pals tried to fuck you for a wealthy wager of American green. After trying to make you his little whore for the night he got madder than a hornet when you refused, then just to spite you he made it rumor that the little deaf girl had the best ride of her life. Not only did he sully your reputation but he took something from you. What was it he took from you, Susan?"

"Trust for any male species on the planet." She sulked back to him, not even trying to protect her dignity. What was the use if he was going to tear it down?

"Yes." He whispered and the words were streaming on the screen. "and he also took a small shred of your innocence in complete silence and until this day you buried it all away in hopes that it would never come back to haunt you again."

It was out and it was over. Strangely enough it brought her some kind of relief to know that hiding those events was now over. On the other hand, she had let Hannibal inside her head just as the rules told her not to.

"Thank you, Susan." He uttered so graciously as though she had given him something so very precious to protect with his own heart. "I will be seeing you, very soon."

Hannibal hung up the phone and Sue sat staring at the blank computer screen and into oblivion as the rest of the team exchanged surprised glances. Lucy and Tara wanted to console her in someway but didn't know what to say and the men were sinking into an obvious awkwardness. It was rather odd to see that their emotional rock was a little down for the count at the moment.

Even as she could not see of hear the tension , she felt it invade her until she could no longer take the slight humiliation and she left the room as calm and quickly as she could. They watched her go and Jack became rooted from his spot, then made for the door only to be stopped by Clarice.

"May I?" Clarice asked indicating that it may be more logical if she went to check on Sue.

"Ok." Jack understood and backed down.

Clarice found her in the conference room sitting at the table with a warm mug of coffee in her hands just staring out the window into the traffic below.

"That was intense." Sue commented with a whisper and signing, not exactly trusting her voice. "Is he always like that?"

"Yes." Clarice signed the confirmation back to her then spoke. "He dwindled me down to tears more times than I'd like to admit and he will do the same to you. Just a bit of advice, don't try to hold it in. I know that's what you're doing right now. Believe me, I tried and it didn't work. It just made the next time worse. You did really good back there."

"I let him in my head." Sue said as if to note her failure.

"Yes you did." Clarice confirmed. "But you very well can't follow the book rules with Hannibal. Those who let him in normally get to stay alive."

Clarice halted the conversation about Hannibal to address the other issue on hand.

"I'm sorry you got into Paul's crossfire." She apologized for his indiscretion. "Krendler was a chauvinistic and ill mannered worm to every woman he's ever met. You didn't deserve that and you're very lucky to have a partner like Jack who cares very much for you."

"Yes, I am." Sue admitted that much to herself then the two who now shared a dreadfully common ground gazed out of the window in a comforting silence.

Chapter 11  
Somewhere in  
Washington, DC  
2217 EST

The rain splattered on the cement sidewalk of the unlit alley in the middle of the city and off into the distance was the presence of thunder churning the unsettled skies. There was the metallic smell and taste on the air from the streaks of lightening intermingled with fumes from the vehicles. People were heading home to say goodnight to their loved ones or to tuck their children into bed. The other half of the population going home to a devastatingly cold and empty bed. There was an ungodly scream that erupted the night sky and Chilton turned to look in the direction of the noise.

"Hello?" He called into the darkness of the alley and when he failed to receive an answer he began to search for the noise. "Is someone there?"

The wailing scream was heard again and he startled a bit this time. He was a tad nervous in his old age especially since he was unsure if Hannibal was lurking the streets tonight.

Chilton sneaked around a corner and found himself searching high and low around a tin garbage can. Like any profusely dumb victim in a horror movie he jutted his head in to have a peak. With a mind numbing screech that scared him nearly out of his skin, a wet and unfortunate tabby cat jumped out of the can very near to his face and scampered off to disappear into the black velvet of the night.

He greatly cursed the cat as he went about his business walking the neighborhood. His plans were to address his men who were currently living in dark back allied ghettos where most of DC's backwash of high society lived for most of their non existent lives.

Over in a distant corner a garbage can burned bright and orange to keep the cold, wet poverty stricken society warm as they could possibly be. This was where Chilton's henchmen were hiding out from Hannibal, at least until they could get close to him by anymeans. This group was not about to jump into anything drastic as of yet since they learned from the last group's unfortunate downfall. Perhaps they were a bit smarter.

"any luck?" Chilton asked the scruffy and tall man standing across from him at the hot metal of the garbage can.

"He's planning a supper tomorrow night at Jack Hudson's summer home." The man said. "A cabin in Chesapeake."

"You mean to tell me Special Agent Jack Hudson is in league with our Dr. Lecter?" Chilton queried.

"I don't know." The homeless undercover man stated.

"Does Hannibal have plans earlier in the day?" He asked. "I want him in before his last supper."

"I'll do what I can." He sighed wondering why he even took on this task with his four inmates.

The man knew of the dangers of involving a chase for the renowned Hannibal but he was stuck in four square walls of a desolate brick and bar cell with no contact to the outside world. At the time he would have gone up against anyone to gain early release from the god forsaken prison. Now he was very unsure of the entire situation he put himself in, He knew for certain that death was upon him tonight so as he walked through the driveway of the baroque style mansion he prayed. He prayed that his death would be quick. He prayed that his family would live on without him. He prayed that maybe there was a slight chance for him in Heaven despite his wrong doings. He prayed hard.

He walked the last golden mile then did as he was told to do. He hid in the outdoor shed out of Hannibal's line of sight and awaited to see when he would come out again.

Inside the rather wealthy living quarters, classical flowed and ebbed freely through the winding rooms and wide open spaces. The style of sophistication mired through every crook and cranny of his mansion as the soft light produced a very warm atmosphere.

Hannibal was a rather busy man tonight, gathering small items to work through his well planned effort. He made a promise and a deal to appear before Sue since she really had given him a piece of her that he held very safely. He certainly wasn't going to make this a pubescent and lame attempt to date a woman, but he was at least going to be civil and gentlemanly about this meeting. Afterall, Sue did deserve great things. Every woman of class deserved to be treated with the utmost of respect and she deserved the best of things. At least until she tries to attack him with a butter knife.

Hannibal suppressed a chuckle as he remembered having a late dinner with Clarice and how she tried so hard to gain the upper hand to this debacle. In her highly morphinated state she had become as feral as a wildcat so determined to put him in his place. He wouldn't say this to just anyone but it somewhat turned a tiny switch of animalistic desire in him and that's why he attempted a gentle kiss upon her soft lips until the snicker of handcuffs rang in his ears.

He was brought out of his deep reverie as he heard a very soft bristling noise outside.

Chapter 12  
Sue and Lucy's Apartment  
Georgetown, DC  
2235 EST

This earlier conversation with the infamous Dr. Lecter was the most intensifying and humiliating phone call of her life seeing as it did involve a good deal of personal information. The more she thought about the events between herself and Paul Krendler's friends the more she had the impression that it was rather petty to be so embarrassed about it. The whole act of filming a female naked in the the shower and offering to pay in cash for sexual relations did happen quite often. Honestly it reminded her of some lame high school jocks and their immature attempt to rattle her cage.

Even though Paul Krendler was dead the memory of his appalling behavior and extreme self love was strong in Sue's mind despite the fact she forgave his actions and tried to move in. She just didn't want this information to get out into the population and she feared that the video footage was out there somewhere still.

Jack was sitting at the coffee table and sofa with her, enjoying a pizza and a coffee. It was one of those nights that her bravery and courage deserved a laid back, relaxing meal to unwind herself.

"Why didn't you tell us about Krendler?" Jack asked going into his protective mode.

"That's not exactly something you bring up at the dinner table." Sue stated with a sheepish grin. "Besides, it was just one of those dumb high school acts of immaturity that I just wanted to put behind me."

"Well," Jack began, understanding her reasons. "I know it sounds horrible but if this guy was willing to pay to have a night with you in his arms then he must have thought you were beautiful and attractive, even if he didn't show it very well."

Sue's light skin must have turned two or three shades solid redder as a blush crept up her neck and sprinkled a bit on her face, and then her gaze darted downward to her pizza. Just as she took a bite she thought to herself that there was possibly an upside to almost everything, especially if it seemed to drive Jack into giving her some kind of special treatment after work. He always did stick around with her more than the rest of the team but ever since the Hannibal case rolled around he was even more attached to Sue. It was very pleasant but why must he stick around when he was under the impression that something was wrong? It seemed to be the only time that he would pay more attention than usual. Not only that, but that last spine tingling kiss left her more confused than ever. She found herself questioning what exactly he wanted from her.

"I'm sorry if that sounded offensive." He could have kicked himself. "Not were beautiful, I meant are."

He closed his eyes and brought his hand to his face once he realized how dorky he sounded as that moment. Here was the perfect opportunity to finish off where Lucy interrupted the other night and he was killing all chances with his idiotic bumbling.

Jack took a chance to look back up at her and was trapped within her serene pools of hazel brown that were quickly disappearing behind narrow slits. The last time she looked at him like that was when they met outside on their first case at Bobby's birthday party so he could apologize to her for being such a jerk the day before. He hadn't seen that head over heels look from her again until now and it was freezing him right on the spot. It was mind bending how her expression was now thundering down a want into a pure need for some kind of physical contact like it was the air he was meant to breathe.

This yearning wasn't at all lost on Sue as she watched him inch closer to her until he was way too close for her to read his lips. Unexpectantly, she met him the rest of the way, releasing a gentle sigh as he caressed her lips softly as first, testing the waters. This lightness was soon not enough and he added a relieving pressure, suckling, nipping, and teasing the passionate ache with his tongue gliding across her lips. The kisses alone were sweeping her up into a dizzying turbulence as she began to meet him play for play. Jack was stirring the cacophony of nerves and putting her on edge as his hands wound up in her scalp. She moaned deeply as his tongue darted in to explore her sweetness and caressed hers that felt so much like a luxurious velvet.

Before long she was sitting in his lap and her hands were nothing idle, but coursing through his dark hair trying to keep him from stopping the kiss too soon. She shivered when she felt his hand creep under the thin material of her shirt, touching warm and silky skin, pulling her even closer into him just before flipping her on her back into the sofa.

The rest of the world was fleeing her sense of reality and they were both in dire need of some air in their lungs so Jack averted his mouth down to the side of her neck. She never thought a man's lips would feel so soft against the delicate skin and he continued to pull her into a dizzying vortex with is mouth suckling at the pulse under her ear.

In a flash, Jack lifted his head to look across the room and mouthed the name, Lucy, to a very desire ridden Sue. She bolted upwards not missing a beat while Lucy walked in the door and greeted Sue on the way in. Sue cleared her throat and moved her hands to cover her neck and tried not to let herself blush anymore than she had tonight.

Lucy's interruption was a curse and a blessing as Sue thought because even though her heart desired Jack to keep going, she didn't want to end up completely destroying their friendship. It was too valuable to her to take lightly. She sighed and said her goodnight to him and decided to go get ready for bed for the next day of wild goose chases.

Chapter 13  
FBI Headquarters  
Washington, DC  
0900 EST

Sue and Levi had just come into the office for another day and she walked across the room to seat herself at her desk. The first person she saw in her eye line was Jack who looked at her with a burning set of chocolate pools and she looked downward to her files with another series of reds shading her hot face.

While she sat at her desk she began to fill out paperwork for the previous use of equipment from months ago which had not been completed. When she lifted her files out of the desk drawer Clarice was standing at the front of her desk waiting for Sue to acknowledge her presence. Levi, being the service dog that he was laid his paw on her leg to alert her of Clarice.

"I got a call from security." She informed Sue then turned to the rest of the team. "Chilton's dead."

"What?" Sue did a double take. Even if the outcome didn't surprise her, she hadn't expected it this soon.

"He went into shock long before security got to him." Clarice stated. "He lost a lot of blood when Hannibal chewed at his face."

"Another insufferable jerk down." Myles remarked his sour attitude towards the snarky psychologist.

Myles' particular comment turned their heads to glare at him so they wondered what exactly they were going to do with him. Myles wasn't the politest person in the world but he was a good friend. They weren't ready to have him served up in a fancy dish with some Chianti.

"There's a reason why you're stuck in the office for the rest of this case." D retorted.

After dealing with Myles, they moved onto discussing the death of Chilton and thinking of some strategy tactics to use on Hannibal before he adds more victims to his hit list. No sooner than they had started Ted Garret arrived to check up on the progress that was being made but if he were being honest, he was checking up on the team for any undue signs of danger. It was a series of very cryptic phone calls from an unknown source pertaining to Sue Thomas that had him slightly alarmed and there were more times that he felt so tempted to take her off the case. This last phone call was the last straw and some action had to be taken.

"I need your attention for a moment." There was no one in the room except for the working agents of this case so he deemed it safe to have the discussion here. "I've been getting some very alarming phone calls due to this case from who I believe to be Cody Roth. Mr. Roth was in Maryland State Prison for robbery and he has been sending threats to Ms. Thomas stating that if she didn't back off the case he would be forced to remove her himself."

"He was hired by Chilton." Jack said. "Since he is now dead it would be logical to assume he wants the reward money."

"That's right." Ted agreed and looked at Sue. "Because of this, I am going to have to take you off the case at least until we get this renegade out of the way."

Sue looked at Ted feeling as though someone pushed her back on her rear end and told her of the things she was absolutely inadequate to do to be a part of the group. Such a slap in the face this was as her expression carried indignity. He picked up and that immediately and turned to her desk to speak to her privately.

"This action is unofficial." Ted began to explain. "Roth told me that he has the original video in Krendler's possession and he's willing to give it you as long he believes you're off the case. As much as I would love nothing more than to take you off the case, I can't. Not this late in the game when Hannibal has made contact with you. But I have one question. Do you trust him?"

"Yes." Sue said without reservation.

"You're either very gullible or very brave." Ted stated. "Why do you believe him?"

"He believes in good manners and proper etiquette." Sue said. "He makes a promise he keeps because he feels that it's respectful. He's not your average killing machine. If this Roth does decide to come to me, Hannibal will be there. He won't let anything happen to me."

"You trust him that much?" Ted asked feeling very incredulous right now.

"Yes." She answered.

"Roth did give us another option." He began. "He will still return the video if you lead them to Hannibal."

"No." Sue said immediately. "I won't let them hunt him down like an animal. It will only get them killed and me. I would rather try to con the lesser of the two evils."

"Wise choice." He complimented her for she was thinking like an agent. "You're unofficially off the case and I want you to go home. Clarice and Jack will go with you.

Chapter 14  
Marie's Bakery  
Washington, DC  
1345 EST

The warm and thick aroma of bread in the bake ovens and the sweetness of pastries baking to full scrumptiousness were coming in waves at him as he drank his coffee waiting to hear the hourly Washington news on the television. The bakery was an odd little hole in the wall of a shop which allowed customers to sit in and eat their goods as well as a good cup of coffee. Cody took advantage of this hospitality since he had the feeling he wasn't going to make it out alive tonight.

Cody Roth was the name that was stamped on his ID and the stony brown eyes confirmed his person as well as the lanky figure he possessed. Cody considered himself very lucky seeing his involvement on the Hannibal case and playing the street bum for Chilton, he was very lucky to even still be alive. He could only figure he escaped detection by divine intervention.

Despite his past friendship with Paul Krendler and his crude behavior including the crime, he was a man with many regrets. The truth was that he could very well see eye to eye with Dr. Lecter and his resentment towards the ill mannered. Every time he saw a kid of a man harassing people he was always reminded of his own bullying ways. He grew up and hated the reputation he gave himself and the harm he did to others in the process. With a sip of his coffee he drifted a few years in the past.

_~The music blared in Paul's apartment even though there wasn't what you call a party since there was only his cliché group of six jocks all attending Quantico including Cody._

"Hey guys!" Paul called out to his pals while he sat as the security setup he stole from the lab. "You gotta see this."

They crowded over to the computer screen and saw the view hugging what looked to be one of the shower stalls.

"Holy shoot, Paul!" One of his friends cussed. "If one of the profs saw this you would be screwed."

"They better not hear it from you, Dickwad." He sneered.

The guy backed down and moved his fingers to his mouth as if to say he was shutting up right now. With their attentions turned to the screen and the beer bottles stuffed to their mouths, they didn't fail to notice a woman heading to the shower, completely unaware of the camera in the corner trained on her. Their mouths dropped as her clothes fell to the tiled flooring, revealing the expanse of a beautiful body.

"Note to self." Cody whooped. "Deaf girl is hot!"

All in the same night, Cody made his way through the hallway and encountered Sue as she was walking to her room. He stopped her and he glared suspiciously at the front of her shirt as he was talking.

"Could you help me find a paper in the archives?" Cody asked with no good intentions and she led the way.

Sue could not hear the door shut behind them but she could feel the shift in the air so she turned only to be pushed violently against the wall in the stuffy room.

"What are you doing?" She looked at him in alarm and before she could say another word, his mouth crashed down upon hers enough to cause bruising.

Sue was horrified to see anyone acting this way towards her and she wanted nothing to do with it. She could taste the suffocating cigarette smoke as he crammed his tongue in her mouth and pushed up against her so hard she could feel his hardness below the belt.

"Get off me!" She shouted and began to claw at him. She was seething more than anyone had the right to be.

"Oh come on! Stop being a baby." Cody scolded her as he forced his way between her legs. "You're so hot. I know you want it. Would a little cash in return make you feel better?"

This undignified assumption that she was nothing more than a whore was the last straw and she could almost feel her blood boiling in a rage that she had never known before. She gathered all her strength and smacked the sides of her hands together on each side of his jaw. Cody howled as her motion nearly snapped his jaw in half and he fell over like a sack of bricks when her foot connected to his groin.~~

A few years later, Cody's baby sister was raped and it was then he understood the pain of what comes around goes around. He then understood the pain that he inflicted on Sue. He knew he couldn't make amends with her and he didn't expect her to forgive him, but he did know that the tape needed to go back to its subject. So here he sat watching the news and the announcement of Sue's removal from the case. Peaceful as he came, he walked out the door and dropped the addressed envelope in the post office to Susan Thomas of the FBI.

Chapter 15  
Sue and Lucy's Apartment  
Georgetown, DC  
1815 EST

If it weren't for Clarice being there, Sue would be swimming in the harsh feeling of awkwardness as Jack being there with her. All she could remember was the warm and tingling sensation of his mouth on her skin, calling to a great desire that burned in her belly. Her heart would love nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and let him take her to an edge that she's never seen before, but she feared the consequences. She feared that something would happen and they would end up hurting each other and she was sure she couldn't handle that. On the other hand, they have been torturing each other for four years with yearning glances and innocent teasing, one hoping to be kissed by the other but to no avail.

Sue tried to stifle a yawn as she sat at the kitchen table with a mug of hot chocolate in her hands. These past few days were long and nerve wracking. She was still nervous and the exhaustion was catching up to her. It has been a very long time since she had been truly tested with a roller coaster or emotions beginning with curiosity, fright, lust, and ending to a near rage. This case was for the strong hearted fighters that can deal with the horrors of what goes bump in the night.

"Honey, you look like hell." Clarice commented on Sue's nearly bedraggled appearance. "Nothing is going to happen right now, why don't you go get some sleep. He won't let you miss him."

Her plan was only to take a short nap but once she laid her head on the pillow she was asleep. Jack observed as he looked in her room to check up on her and he was pleased to see that she seemed very relaxed. She peaceful and serene like and angel when she slept and Jack wished he could take up residence beside her. As he was deep in his thoughts, the phone rang. He left the room and went to the phone leaving Sue in her slumber and a curious figure behind the thick bedroom curtain.

The figure hung up his cellular phone when Jack picked up the phone in the hallway and he stepped away from his hiding spot. His blue eyes like shards of ice stared right through her as she slept unknowingly. Dr. Lecter smiled in eerie content and bent over to lay a gentle kiss upon her sort, ivory cheek and then pushed a light strand of hair out of her face. The contact was so light that it slipped by her detection like a silhouette in the night. He watched her closely as he lit a candle on her night table and hung up an article of clothing right in the line of her waking sight. He blew her a kiss and left the way he came in, the front door.

Sue was soon awakened by the vibrations under her pillow. She stretched out and yawned quickly not even taking notice of her surroundings, then reached under her pillow for her blackberry.

"Hello." She still sounded a tad groggy from just awakening.

"Sleep well, Susan?" The familiar voice asked and she perked up immediately.

"Yes." She answered. "Can I help you, Dr. Lecter?"

"You have thirty seconds." He stated. "Bring the shoes hanging on your closet door and get in your car."

Her mind was in overdrive as she thought about the choices that she had but first her eyes landed on the black strappy shoes that were hanging on her closet door. The only thought that she could think of was that he must have came into her room to hang them there and light the candle. She had no time to do any long term thinking that might have been life altering for her. She only had thirty seconds to do as he told her.

"I'll lead you to me." He said. "Ready? GO!"

As though it were an automatic response, she leapt upward, grabbed the shoes and darted out the door not even thinking of Jack and Clarice who were both settled in the kitchen. Sue ran out in the wetness of the rain and was in her car as quick as she could be, and then out of the parking space before they could get to her. She kept glancing down at the blackberry to see if he started to talk to her yet.

"Head onto Eastward Avenue at the intersection." He commanded in a rather friendly tone. "Are you making any progress with Jackson yet, My Dear?"

"What kind of progress?" She asked keeping the blackberry in her eye line.

"Don't play coy with me." He warned. "With all the chemistry and sexual tension I would have thought you two have declared your everlasting love for each other and performed the horizontal mambo."

"Horizontal Mambo?" Sue asked as her face scrunched in confusion while she drove.

"Sex, Susan." He said as if talking to a four year old who needed the explanation. "Sex."

"If this were another time and place I would almost be laughing." She said over her slight embarrassment.

She didn't really know what to say to that one so she left him to his own conclusions.

"Take the second road on your left." He directed her and she swerved into the parking lot of a tiny store that she had never seen in the four years that she had been there. "Go into the store."

Cautiously she stepped out of her car and made her way in the small shop. She looked around when she went in; hoping to be less suspicious than the manager would have pegged her for. She didn't want to leave behind any resonance of her even having Hannibal close to her reach. In fact she was much closer to him than she realized. Much closer.

"I just love how good you smell in vanilla." He took a deep breath in the receiver as though he was inhaling her lotion. He also stood behind her only centimeters away and he lifted his hand to caress her silken locks. Despite his stealth, Sue could still sense someone behind her. The chills scurried up her back and she could feel her hair standing. She whirled around quickly and he was gone.

Chapter 16  
Somewhere in  
Washington, DC  
2036 EST

"Dr. Lecter?" Sue called for him in her blackberry until he answered her.

"I'm here, My Dear." He grinned knowing he meant that in more ways than one.

"I know." She grinned in return as a euphoric power swept over her knowing that her physical senses were as good as everyone boasted.

"Fabulous." Hannibal was right beside himself. "Turn around."

Sue turned around as quickly as she could and it almost felt like she was going in slow motion until she noticed a strange flash in the corner of her eye. She followed the flash and soon realized it was a light going off in the direction of an elegant beaded curtain. When she realized she was heading for it her breathing began to constrict as though there was a heavy weight on her lungs. She could feel her pulse throbbing right through her veins and in her ears. She was closer to the ominous spot and she pulled back the curtain only to see a dark evening gown hanging from the ceiling.

"Do you like the dress, Susan?" He asked almost whispering. "A woman of your class deserves nothing but the best."

"A master at flattery, I see." Sue commented as she observed the dress, becoming very uneasy at what she saw.

A beautiful dress indeed. So beautiful she came to believe that her body would never manage to do it justice. It was a silky black number with a plunging neckline that she wouldn't dare to flaunt. The free flowing hem was sure to weave in and out of one's delicate legs in the summer breeze. Simple, yet classy. Was he really trying to flatter her or make her feel worse in thinking that she could never wear something so sexy and beautiful? Could you ever really do sexy without looking like a tramp? She really had no time to think about this as a tall and lanky man stared at her in the window.

"Dr. Lecter, I have no time for these games." She told him in a rather brash tone. "Where are you?"

"Right where you are, Baby." He drawled. "Looks like you have some company, Dear."

This was a superb and fun game for Hannibal while he darted one way Sue was either ahead or behind him. There was a purpose to this game since she had led her to the dress. The downside was that his plans were not going to go too accordingly as there were some of Chilton's men that were hot on her tail.

"What company?" She asked curiously hoping it was Jack and Clarice offering a safety net. This was a hope in hell seeing as Cody Roth decided to follow her to get to Hannibal.

"Your friend, Cody seems to have followed you" Dr. Lecter stated. "Would you like me to take care of him for you?"

"No." She commanded firmly. "Just tell me where you are."

"Fine." He sighed a tad playfully. "I am outside getting in my grey sedan on the side of the curb. Come to me, Susan. And don't forget the dress!"

Since she was on the move before that last sentence he felt the need to make sure she knew what he was saying. As soon as she made her way to the car she saw him getting into the driver's seat but before she could get to him he went down to the ground. Then first thing she saw was Cody kneeling above him to tie him down. One look in his eyes and she felt the oncoming of a deep seated rage. She was normally a docile and forgiving person but in the deepest of hearts, she loathed Cody Roth. Sue was in full gear and she blindly ran after him. The primal instincts kicked in frighteningly quick as she pulled him down by his pant legs. She just didn't realize that a person fighting solely on anger would only make them tired and sloppy.

As much as he hated to do it, he grabbed her by the arms and roughly jerked them back behind her back then tied them. Even as she was tied down, she was struggling to get out of the ropes as the red chaffing marks were appearing around her wrists.

While she struggled without an inch of dignity left Cody lifted Hannibal up and onto the back of the truck. He knew if he didn't do something she may end up pulling her arms out of their sockets. He brought his fist up and slammed sickeningly into her unmarred face. A surge of new anger raced through her already boiling blood and she launched herself at him, and then but him hard on his hand.

"You Bitch!" He screamed in agony and he picked up a baseball bat that he used on Hannibal.

A hard thunk resounded as the harsh wood came down on her arm with a pop from within. She cried in pain as he drew the bat back up and cracked on her ribs with a heavy force. She curled up into a tiny ball trying so hard to defend herself until all she could see was a blackness as she faded out of consciousness.

Cody sighed as he picked her up and laid her on back of the truck with Hannibal. The truck rode off into the distance and her blackberry was left on the grey pavement by her car.

Chapter 17  
Somewhere in  
Washington, DC  
2139 EST

The FBI cars whizzed by in the traffic on the hunt for Sue and Hannibal. When Sue has run off they followed her but lost the trail at Cody's intervention so Jack ended up having to call for backup from Myles and D to search her out. It had been a little over an hour since they last saw her and so far they were not having very much luck.

Jack drove on down the intersection and Clarice could see the tension in his handsome features. His chocolate eyes turned stony and his lips thin with worry, he pushed a hand through his black hair and sighed. Clarice had an inkling of an idea that this thing between Jack and Sue was a little more than patently by any means.

"I always told her not to go off by herself." Jack sighed. "I would have thought she would have learned from Simon."

"This is not Simon." Clarice stated in return. "This is Hannibal and he has no intentions of hurting her."

Jack was losing his patience with the southern charm red head with the know-it-all demeanor.

"No offense, Clarice." Jack let his frustrations out as he pulled up into a small parking lot and they both exited the car. "But I am tired of your crazy trust in this monster that will end up getting us all killed!"

"She'll be fine, Jack." She sighed in understanding, but also a twinge of annoyance over his too protective streak. "If you never have faith in her abilities to protect herself then she will never survive in the field on her own."

"Damnit! Clarice!" He exploded. "This isn't a normal case procedure."

"Well, the world ain't normal, Jack!" She threw it back at him. "Suck it up!"

Furiously, she turned on her heels and left him behind in his own astonishment and frustrations. He knew he was letting his personal feelings get in the way of his work but the notion of even missing Sue scared him out of his skin. Sue alone with Hannibal also made him want to fall right through the floor from the nausea. Jack looked up at the little shop and observed his surroundings. It was a clear space with an elegant shop and there was a grey car in one of the parking spots. When he recognized it as Sue's car he ran over and stopped at the blackberry that was laying on the ground. He prayed it would give him some clues as to where she may have gone.

~~~~~~

The dark green pickup traveled the roads to look as unsuspecting as the driver could make it. No one would know that a cannibal and an FBI agent would be tied up in the back of the truck that was sectioned off by a white cap. No one would ever know of Sue's sheer fright of being so close to Hannibal with no protection.

She had just opened her eyes to the semi darkness on the truck and awakened to the agonizing pain in her body. She ached so bad from Cody's mistreatment and when she tried to move she sobbed, trying to muffle the pain. When her eyes adjusted to the weak light she looked downward at her arm and noticed the disfigurement. It was either broken or snapped out of its joint. Upon further inspection she could see the bruising marring the ivory skin on her side. The bumps in the road were jostling her on the hard truck floor, making the pain nearly impossible to bear. When she looked up at her surroundings she gasped in shock when her eyes met Hannibal's icy glare looking right through her.

"Not feeling well, are we?" He quipped as she tried to reign in her fear.

"No." She answered back.

Untie me." He demanded of her gently. "Please?"

"I know I don't look that dumb." She said with a bit of humor laced on her tongue.

"Cody will kill us." He said and then continued with a parody of a tune. "Chilton and Cody are father and son. They really have a great dislike towards me. Cody wants to see me suffer horribly. That's pretty sick, eh?"

If this were any other time and place Sue would have laughed at the last line out of his mouth. She shook her head in bemusement and tried her best to quell her fear as she attempted to crawl over towards him. The first move brought tears to her eyes as her bruised sides shifted. The dizziness was nearly overtaking her as she grabbed his arm for support, not even thinking of the potential danger, but he allowed her to gain her balance. Once she was a little more steady she reached behind his back and slowly undid the ropes that were trapping his hands. She feared making any sudden movements and he was watching her very intensely. She wanted to say something brave and threatening but she was in no position to act upon it.

When the ropes fell free she noticed her hands had been tied too but didn't understand how she ended up out of them.

"You tricked me." She accused Hannibal of untying her while she was out.

"Are you still afraid of me?" He asked with a glaring look.

"No." Sue spoke the truth.

"Tell me, Susan." He leered. "Would you beg me to stop if I did eat you?"

"If you wanted to you would have done it already."

Almost as quick as lightening, Hannibal opened his jaws and darted so close to her ivory cheek, growling low and menacingly in the delicate skin.

Chapter 18  
Jackson's Cabin  
Chesapeake, DC  
2302 EST

"That's my girl." He purred gently in her cheek and then moved back from her.

The truck was driving in a rough section which Sue could only conclude was some drive way of rocks and dirt. There was a slowing motion until the truck came to a full stop and Sue had no clue what to do. Hannibal was just sitting there motionless so she did the same. The truck gate came open to reveal Cody who climbed off to pull them both off. Sue knew what was coming so she closed her eyes only feeling the shaking motions of the truck as Hannibal lept on Cody, making them both fall out on the ground. Cody had no chance and she was glad that she couldn't hear him screaming from the torture of flesh ripping his face.

Before long Hannibal was squatting directly in front of Sue, checking her for any injuries. She couldn't keep her eyes open against the pain any longer as she slipped into a calm and peaceful slumber to allow her body to recover. If Hannibal was going to do anything at the expense of her life, he would have done it by now. So that's what she thought as he reached down and picked up her slumped form to carry her out and into Jack Hudson's cabin where her had set up his evening plans.

It was fascinating how she was light, much like a child while he carried her into the quaint summer home with its light décor. Hannibal already knew his way around the area so he had no trouble mapping out a room to lay her in. He laid her upon the whit cotton sheets of Jack's bed, trying to keep her dislocated arm in mind. With his training as a doctor he felt it best that a small dose of morphine would keep the pain at bay, especially the pain she was about to feel.

The syringe poked through the delicate skin and she was drifting in and out, the liquid pulsing through her bloodstream working its effects. He waited for a few minutes until the drug took its hold before getting up to work again. He reached to her arm and with a hard yank, the bone easily slid back into place.

"You could have hurt her!" The man scolded as he almost jumped out of his chair in the corner.

"Yes." Hannibal was becoming extremely annoyed with Jack's molly coddling over Sue. "I could have. Instead of me listening to your mindless fretting, I have a task for you, My Lad."

Dr. Lecter moved out of her way, away from her bedside and lifted a box from his plain view allowing Jack to observe momentarily before lifting the cardboard cover off to reveal a few pieces of white tissue paper.

"I don't suppose your mommy taught you how to put on a dress, eh Jackson?" Hannibal asked with a slightly humorous grin.

Confusion was Jack's best friend right now as he donned the expression with perfection. He noted that this nemesis was engorged with a certain off handed wit. Not only as charming as Sue had uttered but a man with a sense of humor to die for. Literally.

"Get her ready for dinner." He commanded as he headed out the door. "And I want her perfect from head to toe."

Jack gulped as he walked out of the bedroom leaving Sue in his more than capable hand, and he wondered how he was going to get through this unusual predicament. Jack lifted the delicate paper away to reveal a black satin material and he grazed his fingers over it wondering how a material could retain such softness. It seemed to be very elegant but it was even more so when he picked it up to observe its flattering features. It was beautiful and it was sure to look stunning, but how comfortable would she be in a dress that dipped so low in the neckline? In the deepest of hearts he wished that she would be more inclined to wear that flattering style and he knew that she would wear it very well.

He laid the dress on the bed off to the side of her and gazed at her peaceful sleeping form , then wondered how he was going to do this. He didn't want to invade her privacy or make her feel uncomfortable around him.

"I hope you forgive me for this." Jack whispered to her and raised his hand to the button of her lilac shirt.

The shirt was rather flimsy as he moved it away from her body and it slid off her skin. Jack was comforted by the soft breathing from her articulated by the gentle rise and fall of her chest. He struggled to remain a gentleman as his eyes grazed over the skin at the tops of her breasts that were mostly hidden by the white bra. His breathing hitched as he reached for the snap at the top of her grey pants and ended up making contact with the warm skin of her belly. This was entirely hard on the nerves and Jack was trying to remain unaffected. It wasn't working and he felt that the only thing he wanted to do was touch her everywhere. Surely she wouldn't be to pleased te see him take advantage of her in this position so he sucked back a breath as he continued to undress her.

Sue needed to be lifted by her waist before he could manage to get the dress on and there was no way he could hold her up with one hand and the dress in the other. This was going to be the hardest part yet and he carefully lifted her torso so she could sit up and lean into him while he pulled the dress over her head. That was a plan at least until her entire front was huddled into him and she shifted to get closer. All he wanted to do was let his lips glide over the skin of her shoulder and up to the sensitive spot on her neck. Eventually this was going to get done.

As a final touch, Jack strapped the shoes on and headed down the stairs to meet Hannibal as he was ordered. Jack didn't go down immediately as he thought to pick up the phone at the end of the hallway to alert backup of their location.

Chapter 19  
Jackson's Cottage  
Chesapeake, DC  
2342 EST

The dim flickering of the red candle spread dancing images across the walls and the music was very soothing as Jack sat at the table trying to calm what little nerves he had left. Jack and Clarice did manage to catch up with Hannibal and Sue in the back of Cody's truck. It was Hannibal's brilliant luck to ward them off that threw them for a loop. When Cody pulled into Jack's driveway, Jack and Clarice were heading opposite until they were able to pull some directions out of Sue's blackberry. He was shocked when he came to understand that they were in the location of his cottage. When they followed the directions and found the green truck, Sue and Hannibal were missing. To add to his shock, a disfigured Cody Roth laid on the hard ground drowning in his own blood from the open bite wounds on his face.

He had somehow lost track of Clarice when he went inside to check what had been happening and to his demise, he found Hannibal hovering over Sue in his bed. He was unable to think properly and he drew his gun out pointing directly at the mass target. Hannibal simply told him of their interesting situation and underhandedly swiped the weapon away. It would lack interest and class to let one without a fighting chance. It was best for Jack if he quietly observed at least before becoming a meal.

"Why the meal?" Jack asked afraid to hear the answer.

"I made a deal to appear before Susan." Dr. Lecter answered back. "And if I am going to meet a lady I make it of utmost importance to at least treat her to dinner."

"Are you going to kill us?" Jack was so bewildered of this supposedly cold hearted killer's polite charm so he asked just to hear the answer.

"You don't plan on displaying the behavior of a jerk, do you?" Hannibal asked.

"Guess not." Jack sighed in resignation.

"Goodie." Hannibal exclaimed gleefully, standing behind the counter chopping onions.

"I don't understand you." Jack began as the statement caught the elder man's attention. "Clarice is rude to you but you won't hurt her."

At the mere mention of Clarice, Hannibal's lecherous grin lightens to a more caring nature. Jack sees something in his sharp blue eyes. Perhaps a certain admiration of sorts? But then he remembered a conversation from a few days back with Sue. Could it be possible that Dr. Lecter actually did have a set of very unorthodox feelings of love lying beneath his cold exterior?

"Clarice never used to be so hardened." The doctor explained. "A little cocky but a real sweetheart. I've decided that I enjoy that fire after knowing her all these years. Clarice is a part of me now and the world is much more interesting with her in it. Besides, I would think you know better, Jackson. Women and Children are not to be maimed."

"Why only men?" It was a point of making conversation now.

"They taste better." Out came Hannibal's witty remark.

How was a person supposed to know when they were being strung on a yarn while to talking to an adversary that knew the ins and outs of the prey's mind? Agent Will Graham always said that you never knew when Dr. Lecter was bullshitting you. Jack knew he wasn't going to get much out of him now so he sat quietly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the meantime Sue was upstairs just beginning to come around. She rubbed her head on the white pillow and tried to open her eyes. Her mind wanted to wake up but her body was not following the commands. When she finally did open her eyes she couldn't sit up properly, the images doubling and blurring. Everything looked to be swimming across her eyes and all the pain she had was gone. It was the buzzing sensation humming through her body from the lack of energy that bothered her the most.

Sue's attempts to gain her bearings were thwarted by the feeling that then proverbial carpet had been pulled from beneath her. Her last conscious thought had been with the memory of her broken arm and battered body. When she looked down it felt as though she were looking at someone else's body from her own eyes. Her arm had been put back into its rightful place and her body was encased in the beautiful dress that Hannibal had for her. She didn't care that her arms were bared to the evening chill nor did she seem to care that the insides of her breasts were dangerously revealed from the deep neck. With the intoxication of the morphine, her thoughts and inhibitions were mainly absent.

She was unable to get over the fact that her feet needed to learn how to walk in the black strappy shoes so the first attempt to walk was stifled. Despite her mentality and physicality being impaired, she knew she was in a dangerous situation and she continued to stagger down the hallway without an inch of grace. When she reached the stairs she grabbed the railing and all but stumbled the whole way down.

Even though she had never been here before she could find her way around pretty well and she was standing in the kitchen doorway watching Jack and at the table carrying on an interesting conversation with Hannibal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clarice seemed to be running around for hours on end trying to find Jack since he had gone missing from her sights so quickly. She decided it was necessary to get on her phone.

"Myles." The Bostonian picked up the phone.

"Myles, I lost Jack." Clarice said rather out of breath.

"I know." He answered back. "We have backup out there now. A call was made from his cottage."

Chapter 20  
Jackson's Cottage  
Chesapeake, DC  
2401 EST

Not quite the demure angel figure she posed during the usual day, Sue was in the black dress that spoke so much of class. Jack was stunned into reverence as he couldn't help but to admire the beauty he saw before him. The sheer back was the perfect backdrop needed fro her perfect ivory skin and her hair was lighter than ever. What stunned him the most was the boldness of the cut. He almost had a clear view of the curves of her breasts. Consider him a typical man but it was designed to show off the right spots and she wore it well. He was just worried about how she would feel after being seen in such a flagrant outfit.

"Our princess has awaken." Dr. Lecter smiled with all his charm. "Come join us for dinner, Susan."

Her mind addled with the hazy symptoms of morphine, he knew she didn't understand a word that he said he walked over and guided her to a seat.

"Thank you." She mumbled as she seated herself.

She sat in her chair sideways almost falling if it hadn't been for the table under her elbows and the sturdy back of the chair. Jack was rather nervous for her welfare as her eyes rolled in the back of her head several times.

"I want some water." Sue muttered almost out of breath.

"What do you say, Child?" He was expecting a certain answer.

"Please?" Sue was forgetting her manners for the moment.

Dr. Lecter left his frying pan for a moment to pour her a glass of water and walked it over to her. As he placed the glass on the table and laid his hand on her shoulder, she pulled the knife out and attempted to jab him. His reflexes were too good and he grabbed her wrists then spoke in warning. This entire scene made Jack jump in fear.

"You try that again and you will have to leave the table. Do you understand?" He scolded.

Sue moaned in frustration at her obvious miss as the dizziness returned again. There had been no more troubles even when Hannibal set out to serve the meal to his guests. They didn't even want to know what was in front of their faces and Sue politely asked him not to tell her. Afraid to take a bite, she braved it and found that it was rather good. It was obvious from Jack that he was not about to eat any of it.

"I'm not really hungry." Jack uttered with a look of plain disgust and Sue caught it.

"Don't be rude!" Sue spat. "Eat your dinner, Jack!"

"Be nice, Susan." Hannibal warned her once again. "He can't eat if he isn't hungry."

Sue returned to eat happily without a care in the world. If she was eating it it must have tasted edible. She slid her fork in the dish and lifted it out with the helping.

"Tasty, eh?" Dr. Lecter smiled.

"Yes." Sue admitted groggily.

"May as well eat the 90% of the brain that we don't use." He answered back.

There was no slow hint on that one and Sue immediately understood what he was speaking of. The fork clattered on the plate while a gasp escaped her lips, her face becoming pale just before she felt the oncoming of a sickening lump in her throat. It was now involuntary as she leaned over the side of the table and gagged, the contents surging back up from her stomach.

"I do suppose you would have been much better off had I not mentioned that." Dr. Lecter muttered in bemusement as he cleaned the floor which was now the home of bile and food that was in her stomach.

The combination of morphine and the vomiting had her shaking like a leaf and Jack loomed over her, rubbing her back. The affectionate behavior did not escape Hannibal. Once finished with the floor he grabbed a wet cloth and wiped down her flushed face. The dampness was an instant relief as she leaned into his hand. He stood up and handed her the glass of water.

"You son of a bitch!" Jack was seething in a very hot rage that made Dr. Lecter turn back and face him, very offended by this remark. "You get off on yanking people around but you just yanked the wrong chain."

"Jack!" Sue gasped when she saw the idle threats and foul language. "Don't you ever talk that way again! Apologize to Dr. lecter, now!"

Sue didn't intend on defending Hannibal but she didn't want Jack to learn his lesson after having his innards on a golden plate. When Jack glanced in her hazel eyes he understood and immediately backed down.

"I'm sorry." Jack apologized and made it sound sincere. "I just don't like to see her in any kind of pain."

"Ah, all is forgiven." Hannibal reasurred. "Afterall, its only the illogical actions of a man embraced with love's flame."

Jack may have been slow but he wasn't obtuse. He knew what the Doctor was talking about but he thought it best to put that thought to the back of his head as he reached into his pocket and gave Sue a candy to help sweep away the vile acid in her mouth.

Chapter 21  
Jackson's Cottage  
Chesapeake, DC  
2418 EST

The meal was over and Dr. Lecter decided that it was time for some other form of entertainment rather than to watch his two new friends stare at him in fright and disgust. It was time to avert his attention to the two of them in a slightly different light.

"Join me in the living room, My Dears." He commanded gently and lead them into the darkened room that was lit up by the full moon outside shining through the ceiling to floor windows.

Sue was still slightly awkward from the effects of the drug but it wasn't quite as bad. She was becoming a little more self conscious of the wardrobe style that was clinging to her body and just barely covering her breasts. If it were any looser she could swear she would fall out. She prayed to get by without a wardrobe malfunction. As she sat on the sofa she went to pick up the small throw on the arm and held it to the front of her chest, trying not to look suspicious.

"You really have no need to cover yourself, Susan." Hannibal said as he turned the radio on to a relaxing atmosphere. "Really child, there is nothing wrong with showing off what your Mommy gave you, isn't that right, Jackson?"

"Uh.." Jack was stumped and he didn't know how to answer without offending her and giving away too much. He somewhat agreed but not in such banal wordisms.

"I never was comfortable in this….syle." Sue interrupted because she wasn't too sure If she wanted to see Jack's answer. It was obvious to her that he didn't find her very attractive seeing as he took so long to formulate an answer and he was trying to spare her from his thoughts. His disgusted thoughts that she wasn't a big boobed bimbo with a perfect shape.

"No one is perfect, Susan." Dr. Lecter began his lecture. "Imperfection is the soul of personality, you see. I once knew a woman who loved botox and lyposuction among other cosmetic surgery procedures but she was about as exciting as the sofa you're sitting on. But you have nothing to worry about. You're stunning. Aren't I right, Jackson?"

"Ah.." He was put on the spot again and Dr. Lecter was quickly becoming annoyed with his useless bumbling. "Yes."

"Stop bumbling, Jackson." He commanded. "Its annoying. How is it possible that a man so well adept in society find it so hard to tell she's beautiful? Its beyond me."

Not wanting to dwell on this much longer, Hannibal arose from his seat and held his hand out to her. He was requesting a dance and she hesitantly complied to his wishes. It was an amicable dance as his hand rested at her back while the other held her hand, swaying in time with the music.

"Come here, Jack." He demanded only second later and he did what he was told. "Take over for me."

Jack looked at the intelligent doctor as though his sanity were missing for the time being. His mind was also riddled with confusion but he complied. Even though Sue was infused with the drug, he could still feel her tense as he wrapped his arm around her waist, meeting bare skin at the back. A slight tingle crept up her spine as the surprisingly warm touch.

The situation gained in slight awkwardness when he pulled her closer into him. Jack's nerves were raw and on edge all night. Despite his mind's imagery flashing back to the beauty of her naked flesh on his bed as he dressed her only minutes ago and the mind blowing kiss in her apartment, he desperately clung to the last strands of his control to remain the steadfast gentleman she deserved. He didn't quite realize that the situation was affecting her as well.

It seemed that the drug in her system had enhanced whatever emotion or sensation she was experiencing. The musky scent of his cologne and the feel of him against her chest were attacking her senses. She left out a shaky breath and clenched her jaw slightly, but soon found her face only mere inches from his. Her eyes darted back and forth between his dark eyes and the full lips. It took her a moment to realize she had something of an audience.

"Want and desire are two very dangerous emotions." Dr. lecter spoke in a philosopher's tone. "It really squeezes the life out of one's gonads. North Americans constrict their emotions too much. You must know it isn't good for you."

Jack and Sue were snapped out of their reverie as they stared at Hannibal unsure as to what he was going to hem and haw about next.

"The wild alley cats in Spain are always pregnant. Do you know why that is?" He received no answer so he moved on. "They always have love on their minds and it doesn't take a genius to figure out what's on yours."

Hannibal rose from his seat and walked calmly out to the kitchen leaving behind a rather befuddled couple. Sue pulled away from Jack and followed Hannibal only to catch him trying to run.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sue asked him as he stood in the doorway.

"Sorry, Child." Dr. Lecter smiled. "Can't stay much longer, Toodles."

It was a nice move when Sue blocked the door with her body, refusing him a means of escape.

"Susan." He bellowed in a warning. "I have to leave. You had better move."

It was a poor choice but she decided to gain a stupid sort of bravery and launch a physical attack with her body. He pulled her down and slammed her back against the door. They were nose to nose until her heard several clicks.

"You really should not be picking up Clarice's traits." He muttered when he lifted up his hand to see himself cuffed to her. "Give me the key."

"I don't have it." Sue grinned rather shakily.

"Give him the key, Sue!" Jack hollered behind Hannibal worried about her current position.

"Your friend is very wise." Dr. Lecter sneered as he slammed her into the door again, bringing tears of fright in her eyes. "Give me the keys."

"No." She whispered in defiance.

"Very well then." Hannibal said after a moment of silence then walked them both to the island in the kitchen when he had been chopping the food. He picked up a very sharp and heavy cleaver then forced their hands up on the meat board. She looked up at him in a pathetically frightened way as he slid the blade across the delicate skin of her wrist. "This is gonna hurt."

Time seemed to slow as he brought the cleaver up over his head and slammed it down to the counter. Sue let out a blood curling scream as the blade bit through skin and crunched on bone.

Chapter 22  
Jackson's Cottage  
Chesapeake, DC  
2448 EST

Clarice stormed through the doorway bearing arms only to see Jack huddled over a very distressed Sue. Her eyes darted from corner to corner trying to catch Hannibal in her sights. When she saw nothing she moved out of the kitchen door unable to see a thing. A small piece of paper on the ground caught her attention so she reached down to pick it up and unfold it.

Susan,  
Imperfection is the soul of personality and beauty. Embrace it.  
Ta-ta!  
H

With a deep resonating sigh, Clarice knew that once again Dr. Lecter had deviously escaped their grasp and underground for a few more years. She remained faithful with the strong belief that he would never hurt her nor Sue, now that she was engraved in her eccentric life. Speaking of Sue she turned and darted into the cottage where they were.

"I tried…" She tried to spill out an explanation in between choking sobs. "to keep…..him…from…  
from…running."

The weeks events had finally caught up to her and this was the final blow that threw her down. Sue lifted her hand with the cuff around it in the line of Clarice's sight.

"You didn't?" Clarice asked hoping she was wrong, knowing very well what broke her down.

Sue pulled away from Jack's embrace and leaned against the cupboards, trying to pull herself back together again. Clarice wished she could tell her that it was all over but it wasn't. There may be a time that he would return to her in someway. The only comfort that they could rely upon was the mere fact that Hannibal Lecter did not wish to do them physical harm.

Clarice sat with Sue and handed her the note that she found outside. It was odd but the note seemed to provide her with an inexplicable comfort. Whatever inner emotion that was, Jack and Clarice were left on the outside looking in.

"You're gonna be fine." Clarice smiled and helped Sue up to her wobbly legs.

"What if he comes back?" Jack whispered not wanting Sue to see his worries.

"He won't hurt me." She smiled as a lone tear made its way down her cheek.

Sue didn't want to stick around inside much longer for the warm air was making her feel claustrophobic. For the first time in her life, feeling two people so close to her was making her feel rather crowded so she picked herself up the rest of the way and straightened her dress out. She no longer seemed to care about the wardrobe that was hanging from her curvaceous body. Jack was proud to see that moment of her disappearing self consciousness as she walked out the kitchen door. He was also worried about what the next coming days would bring to them from this harrowing experience.

~Epilogue~

Clarice was gone and everything in Jack Hudson's team had reverted to the normal day. All except for one person.

Sue sat at her desk, quietly filling out papers with thoughts of the week gone by lingering in her mind. It had been an entire week and she still wanted to be alone. She had become withdrawn from her team mates and friends. Every day they worked, it pained them to see her retreating so deep within herself. They didn't know what to do and it troubled Jack the most.

" I have something for you." Myles came over to her desk and pulled her from her silent reverie. "This came in the mail for you."

"Thank you." She smiled and took the package from him and unwrapped it.

She pulled out a black VCR tape and she knew exactly what it was. It was the tape from Cody Roth. She pulled the trash can to her seat and began to rip the film from the plastic casing. Jack watched her, noting that the process was giving her some closure. He braved it and walked over to her desk. She looked up to see him moving to sit on the corner of the desk and awaited the words to come from his mouth as she tried to read without discourse.

"Come to dinner with me tonight?" He asked hoping for a yes.

It was a week and it was finally time to come back to the living.

"You buying?" Her wit returned and Jack was happy to see that.

"You bet." He grinned with a wink. "Pick you up at 7."

He walked out of the office happily and left Sue behind who sat with a smile plastered to her face. When the phone rang and the light blinked she picked it up.

"Hello?" She answered.

"You may want to wear that black dress you wore last week, My Dear." The familiar voice resounded. "It's Jack's favorite look on you."

"Dr. Lecter?" Sue asked with worry.

"Don't worry, Dear." The doctor reassured before hanging up. "The world's a much lovlier place with you in it."

After a moment of silence and surprise, Sue knew he was gone once again but called for him anyhow.

"Dr. Lecter?" She called to no one. "Dr. Lecter?"

THE END


End file.
